Mini reveals Rocketman concept car

This is the Mini Rocketman, a 3+1 seater, three-door concept car that Mini will unveil at the Geneva motor show next week.

While the styling cues give an idea to how all Minis may look in the future the Rocketman hints at a future Mini city car.

Mini won't comment on the drivetrain, aside from saying that the Rocketman is capable of 94mpg, thanks in part to its lightweight carbon chassis.

For the moment, Mini is concentrating on the car's flexible interior rather than engine details. Three individual seats slide backwards and forwards. However the front passenger seat slides farther forward than the driver's seat to leave space for a rear-seat passenger. The fourth seat in the rear can be used, says Mini, for shorter journeys. When not in use, it can be folded flat to serve as a stowage surface.

The luggage capacity is just as adaptable. The two-part tailgate has one section attached to the roof so it opens very high, while the lower section extends out of the body, just like a drawer.

The doors are unique, too. They have a double-hinge joint, which, says Mini, give a large opening angle even when parking space is restricted.

The Rocketman also has an innovative dashboard, which features a removable control unit that is configured on your home computer at the start of a journey, enabling the driver to transfer music files, programme the sat-nav, import email and phone contacts and messages from social networks.